Grain-door-forcing device



- 1,400,447; l Patented Dec. 13,` 1921.

/7j Je L l www@ UNITED STATES WILLIAM I-I. MCG-ANN, OF MINNEAPOLIS,MINNESOTA.

GRAIN-DOOR-FORCING DEVICE.

1,400,447, Specification of Application iled August 30,

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MCGANN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county ofHennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Grain- Door-Forcing Devices; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and eiiicient graindoor forcing device; and to such ends, generally stated, the inventionconsists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafterdescribed and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary section of a body of an ordinary box car andgrain door and shows the improved forcing device in side elevation,applied in working position;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the forcing device on theline 3 3 of Fig. 2, the same being removed from working position.

The numeral 4 indicates the floor structure, the numeral 5, one 0f the.side sills, the numeral 6 one of the side door posts, and the numeral 7the grain door of an ordinary boX car.

These grain doors as usually constructed, are made of wood and areusually nailed to the inner sides of the door postsin a position to spanthe door opening. When grain, or like material, indicated at y is loadedin the car against the so-called grain door, the latter can be openedonly by forcing the same inward, or by breaking the lumber of the graindoor. 'Ihe customary practice is to break through, or split up theboards of the grain door so that there is a very great loss of lumber inthe use of these grain doors, and moreover, the breaking of the graindoor is often a quite tedious, difficult, or unsatisfactory operation,even when the proper tool, such as a crowbar, or the like, is available.

Because of the scarcity of pine lumber, it is becoming a more commonpractice to Leners Patent. Patented Dee. 13, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 407,052.

device, accomplishes the objects above indi-, cated. Preferably thisforcing device is con i structed and arranged as follows:

The numeral 8 indicates a very strong metal clamp 0f approximatelyC-shapedfor-` mat1on,but having parallel,vertically spaced jaws 8EL and8b that are of such size and'so A spaced that they will embrace thefloor structure and side sill at the door opening with the undersurfaceof the jaw 8a resting Epen the floor structure, as best shown in `ig. 1.

The lower jaw 8h is provided with a clamping screw 9 working withthreaded engagement therethrough, and provided at its upper end with aswiveled clamping head 10 that is adapted to bear directly against theunder surface of the sill 5. At its lower end, the screw 9 has a handpiece 11, by means of which it may be rotated, to very securely anchorthe clamp 8 against the side sill and iioor structure with its upper jawin the immediate vicinity of the lower transversely central portion ofthe grain door.

The upper -end portion of the clamp 8 is provided with laterally spacedupstanding flanges l2, in which is journaled a short cross shaft 13provided at its central portion with a spur pinion 14 keyed, orotherwise, rigidly secured thereto, for rotation therewith.

The numeral 15 indicates a thrust plunger which stands in anobliqueposition in respect to the grain door, is located directly underthe pinion 14,-, is provided with rack teeth with which said inionmeshes, and is mounted for straight line sliding movement in keepers 16formed on the inclined upper portion of said clamp 8. At its inner end,the plunger 15 is provided with a head 17, the operative face of whichis oblique to the grain door and extends downward from said plunger, sothat its lower edge will engage with the extreme lower edge portion ofthe grain door 7 when the clamp is applied, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In this preferred arrangement, the shaft 13 is shown as provided withtwo ratchet wheels 18 rigidly secured thereto, one on each side of thepinion 14. Spring pressed retaining dogs 19 pivoted to the flanges 12normally engage the respective ratchet wheels 18.

The numeral 20 indicates a longV operating lever having a forked lowerend pivotally mounted on the shaft 13 with its prongs immediately inwardof the ratchet wheels 1S. The prongs of; this lever are provided withspring-pressed driving dogs 21 that are engageable with the respectiveratchet.

wheels 18'.

When the forcing device is applied as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and thelever 2O is oscillated, the plunger 15 will be forced inward against thegrain door with a very powerful action, and its headV 17, being thusforced against the lower central portion of the door 7 will positivelyforce the same inward with an upward Vlifting action due to theinclination of the plunger. If the grain door stands this pressurerequiredv to effect the initiative openingl movement and the initialdischarge of grain without breaking, so much the better, but if it doesnot, it will be only the lower board of the' grain door, or a small partofthe grain door that would be broken, and much of the grain door willbe saved. At any rate, the grain door need not be hacked and knocked topieces, and frequently a grain door will yield to-the steady, evenVpressure of the forcing device, to permit relief ofgthe grain pressureby effecting an initial discharge of grain, without being brokenV atall. F rom 'what has been said, the great utility of this device, bothasto economy and time and saving of lumber is Vthought to be obvious.

What I claimis:

1. A grain door `forcing device comprising a clamp having means forrigidly securing the same to a side sill and floor structure of a boXcar with its, upper portion eX- posed ini the door opening, a thrustplunger mounted on the upper portion of said clamp for movementtherethrough against a grain door applied in the door opening, and amanually operated power multiplying device appliedto said clamp andoperative on said plunger to force the same against a grain door. v

2. A grain door forcing device comprisi ing aV clamp having' means forrigidly securing thesame to a side sill and floor structure of a box carwithits upper portion eX- posed in the door opening, a thrust plungermounted on the upper portion of said clamp for movement against a graindoor applied in the door opening, and a manually operated powermultiplying device applied to said clamp and operative on said plungerto force the same against a grain door, the said plunger being mountedfor oblique movement and having a depending head at its inner end fordirect engagement with the grain door.

3. A grain door forcing device comprising an approximately C-shapedclamp having parallel jaws, the upper `jaw being adapted for engagementwith the car floor at the door opening thereof, and said lower j awhaving a clamping screw for engagement with the under-surface of the carsill, a rack l toothed plunger slidably mounted onV the upper portion ofsaid clamp and engageable at its inner end with a grain door, a shaftjournaled to the upper portion of' said clamp andl having a spur pinionand a ratchet wheel, said pinion meshing withv the rack teeth of saidplunger, a retaining dog on said clamp operative on said ratchet wheel,and a lever pivotally associated with said shaft and having a drivingdog operative on said ratchet wheel. l Y

4. A grainv door forcing device comprisingan approximately C-shapedclamp having parallel jaws, `the upper -jaw being adapted for engagementwith the car Hoor at the door opening thereof, and said lower jaw havinga clamping screw for engagement with the under-surface of the car sill,a rack toothed plunger slidably mounted on the upper portion of saidclamp and engageable at its inner end with a grain door, a shaftjournaled to the upper portion of said clamp and having a yspur pinionand a ratchet wheel, said pinion meshing with the rack teeth of saidplunger, aV retaining dog on said clamp operative onsaid ratchet wheel,and a lever pivotally associated with said shaft and having a drivingdog operative on said ratchetwheel, the said plunger beingL mounted tomove obliquely to the floor engaging face of the upper jaw of said clampand having a depending grain door engaging head. l

5. A grain door forcing device comprising a clamp having meansV forsecuring the same to the floor structure and side sill ofV a boX car,atthe door opening thereof, a

plunger slidably mountedon the upper portion of said clamp andengageable. with a grain door mounted inV the door opening, a`

lever pivotally connectedto the upper portion of said clamp, and pawland'ratchet actuated connection between said lever and said last namedmeans.

In testimony whereof I afliX m signature.

WVILLIAM H. CGANN.

